Terrorists Attack Israeli Civilians in Cross-Border Attack from Egypt

Published on: June 18, 2012

This post was updated at 12:24 pm with the latest information on the Israel-Egypt border attack.

Early this morning, terrorists who infiltrated Israel from Egypt detonated a roadside bomb and fired anti-tank rockets at two Israeli vehicles. The terrorists then fired their Kalashnikov assault rifles. An Israeli civilian was killed in the attack and two others were wounded.

The Israeli civilians driving in the area, 30 km south of the Gaza Strip, were working on building the Israel-Egypt border fence.

IDF soldiers from the Golani Brigade, who rushed to the scene, fired at the terrorists, killing one of them. The IDF forces then pursued a terrorist who fled the scene of the attack and killed him. The terrorists were well-equipped with high-quality gear — helmets and camouflage as well as a large amount of explosives, grenades and light weapons.

An Egyptian guard tower at the Israel-Egypt border

Throughout the morning, Israeli civilians living in the area were on high alert. There was speculation that a third terrorist had infiltrated into Israel and was planning further attacks. Residents of the area were told to stay in their homes and not send their children to school. Roads in the area, including Route 12, were closed to civilian traffic.

Once IDF forces in the area determined that there was not a third suspect, the roads were reopened and local residents were permitted to leave their homes. It is possible that part of the terrorist squad remained on the Egyptian side of the border.

In addition to the terrorist attack on the Israel-Egypt border, a rocket landed in southern Israel overnight — and two more struck the morning before. More than one million Israelis live under the daily threat of rocket attacks in southern Israel.

This morning, the Israeli Air Force targeted a terrorist squad that was planning to attack Israel from the Gaza border fence. Direct hits were confirmed.